All we do is give, give, give! That's the opinion of former "20/20" correspondent John Stossel, now a staunch Libertarian and frequent Fox News talking head.

And who do we give to more than any other group? American Indians!

Stossel complains that Native Americans have been getting special treatment and consideration ever since we stole their land from them. And he's had enough!

Stossel told "Fox and Friends":

“Why is there a Bureau of Indian Affairs? There is no Bureau of Puerto Rican Affairs or Black Affairs or Irish Affairs. And no group in America has been more helped by the government than the American Indians, because we have the treaties, we stole their land. But 200 years later, no group does worse.”

Top Opinion

I dont think so......Its tragic how the culture and spirit was at least tried to be taken away......thank God there are enough American Indians that have passed everything down to the young......there is no way that it can ever be paid back........some thing so beautiful , butchered...terrible sad

No but history is the way it happened. Since the beginning of history civilizations around the world have clashed in one way or another. Every politically correct second guesser can piss and moan about how awful it has been. However what is glossed over is that the American Indian tribes were as brutal and barbaric against each other, as Europeans were when they showed up. Tribes fought wars, tortured prisoners and drove each other out of their homelands for centuries before any white man set foot in America.

And the Italians need to pay reparations for the Roman empireAnd the Moguls need to pay reparations for Genghis KhanAnd the Norwegians need t pay reparations for the VikingsAnd the Spanish need to pay reparations for Cortez and the conquistadorsAnd the Germans need to pay reparations for the NazisAnd the ...

No. But what the missionaries and our Gov't did to the American Indians during the conquest of the West, not to forget the rest of the Country, was wrong. It was also THIS Country. The other stuff you mentioned is their problem and for other discussions. I've known several Natives (Blackfoot, Sioux, Navajo, Hopi, etc...). Some of their family stories/histories were awful. Families separated, forced religion, etc... Wasn't right. Most of it through the Churches and sanctioned by our Gov't.

Basically we have done horrible things to other ethnicities and within our own as a whole. Yes certain people had it worse then others, but we need to wipe the slate clean and move on. I could go on the net and find horrors done to the Native Indians, Indians,Asians, Jews, African Americans, Mexicans, Irish, Italians, yes (white people included). What is the point? See who has been victimized the most, dwell and soak ourselves in the past and never move on. I'm not saying to forget the past, because you always have to remember so crap like that will not happen again. That being said you have to move on, everyone is created equal and can accomplish the same task. It's time to end these crappy government programs for everyone and help each other. Help each other by being fair and looking at people merits and abilities. Help each other by respecting our differences and culture. Help each other by not giving one group privilege over another. I'm tired of this guys less move on and less stop the government from making things worse.

I'm not sure about America, but Canada most certainly has not aided the Aboriginals by slapping them in the reserves. All that's come from it is the increasing segregation between Aboriginals and the rest of society, and the wasting of taxes and potential workforce by pushing them there. If they truly wish to help them, then they would encourage the integration of Aboriginals into the workforce, and if the preservation of languages or culture is a problem, then they can still preserve that in a similar way that Jewish communities have done so in North America. All we're doing right now is keeping alive a dying ideal in conditions barely better than a coma.

What about all the Indian Casinos? These people don't pay taxes and they are doing extremely well! They all share in the profits from the casinos. They are buying some land near where I live and they are all building new houses and they get thousands per month for doing nothing.

All the Indian Casinos out here in Southern California have merged with Las Vegas companies. I have Harrahs Rincon not but 15min from my house. It the equivalent as if I was on the strip. If they were still the Indians private casinos I wouldn't be so bitter, but the fact the government let them merge with private corporations and turn them into luxury resorts just raking in money angers me.

Basically we have done horrible things to other ethnicities and within our own as a whole. Yes certain people had it worse then others, but we need to wipe the slate clean and move on. I could go on the net and find horrors done to the Native Indians, Indians,Asians, Jews, African Americans, Mexicans, Irish, Italians, yes (white people included). What is the point? See who has been victimized the most, dwell and soak ourselves in the past and never move on. I'm not saying to forget the past, because you always have to remember so crap like that will not happen again. That being said you have to move on, everyone is created equal and can accomplish the same task. It's time to end these crappy government programs for everyone and help each other. Help each other by being fair and looking at people merits and abilities. Help each other by respecting our differences and culture. Help each other by not giving one group privilege over another. I'm tired of this guys less move on and less stop the government from making things worse.

Basically we have done horrible things to other ethnicities and within our own as a whole. Yes certain people had it worse then others, but we need to wipe the slate clean and move on. I could go on the net and find horrors done to the Native Indians, Indians,Asians, Jews, African Americans, Mexicans, Irish, Italians, yes (white people included). What is the point? See who has been victimized the most, dwell and soak ourselves in the past and never move on. I'm not saying to forget the past, because you always have to remember so crap like that will not happen again. That being said you have to move on, everyone is created equal and can accomplish the same task. It's time to end these crappy government programs for everyone and help each other. Help each other by being fair and looking at people merits and abilities. Help each other by respecting our differences and culture. Help each other by not giving one group privilege over another. I'm tired of this guys less move on and less stop the government from making things worse.

If by "help" he means smallpox infected blankets, genocidal massacres, widespread and deliberate killing of a major food source (buffalo), boarding schools and sexual abuse, an ongoing effort to stamp out our traditional values and culture, continuing efforts to deny tribal sovereignty.....and the list goes on...... why sure, the government has "helped" Native Americans.

And I love how asshats like this always try to distance what happened..... "200 years ago." The Wounded Knee Massacre happened 121 years ago. The Sand Creek Massacre happend 147 years ago. Hardly ancient history. It takes generations to recover from this type of horror.

But hey, if the American government is tired of "helping" us, they can always GIVE BACK the land that's ours by treaty and allow us to be truly sovereign. Then they could close the BIA, an agency most of us would happily live without anyway.

Maybe they should kick us all out of their country and see how we do. For crying out loud - Native Americans are a diverse and wonderful people who can never be remunerated enough for all the foul deeds perpetrated on them.

Hmm, let see. Kill the people until the near tip of extinction. Steal their land and force them out their homes. Destroy their language. Destroy their culture. Oh, sorry, heres a Bureau to make it all better. We cool?

Not sure, I am sure that comparatively speaking the US Government has done a lot to repair the damage they caused to American Indians and Blacks. Other countries do not bend over backwards like the US to right their wrongs!

We were certainly justified in giving a great deal for a long time. But now our giving is hurting the native american tribes. It is welfare of the worst sort. The kind of welfare that is just good enough to stop them from taking care of themselves.

And, in ways, helping the Native American Indians has only worked to suppress them. Other groups have integrated and succeeded in the American dream. I wish the Native Americans would look to succeed on their own, without government handouts.

Whether the American government oppressed them or not, they have had plenty of time to assimilate and succeed in the past +100 years.

Yeah, the amount of wealth they've gotten for "reparations" wasn't for them, it was for their ancestors that are no longer here, respecting and helping the planet. Instead, it's now in the hands of those that inheritted what is left, run casinos to swindle, and sit on their lazy asses just because they were born into a particular lineage. It's no longer right nor neccessary to continue the handouts.

Basically we have done horrible things to other ethnicities and within our own as a whole. Yes certain people had it worse then others, but we need to wipe the slate clean and move on. I could go on the net and find horrors done to the Native Indians, Indians,Asians, Jews, African Americans, Mexicans, Irish, Italians, yes (white people included). What is the point? See who has been victimized the most, dwell and soak ourselves in the past and never move on. I'm not saying to forget the past, because you always have to remember so crap like that will not happen again. That being said you have to move on, everyone is created equal and can accomplish the same task. It's time to end these crappy government programs for everyone and help each other. Help each other by being fair and looking at people merits and abilities. Help each other by respecting our differences and culture. Help each other by not giving one group privilege over another. I'm tired of this guys less move on and less stop the government from making things worse.

I say this with NO disrespect at all . I wish I could view the world as you do.. but I have come to find out that is not the real world . You know if a black person and white person has the same qualifications.. but the white person had a criminal record. The white person would still get the job over the black person . You know if your name sounds too black people will not even look to give you a job no matter how good you are.

Give us back our land and we'd be happy to try to succeed on our own without government handouts.

The thing is, lots of American Indians didn't and don't want to assimilate. Lots of Indians define "success" in a vastly different way than whites do. Lots of Indians don't really buy into the notion of the "American Dream." That's not "success" to them. You're forcing your "dream" on a bunch of people who never wanted it.

Even those of us who do "succeed" in your world (My family's been mixed blood for generations. I have a college degree and the only government "handout" I've ever received were treaty payments) define "success" differently and tend to value different things.

Basically we have done horrible things to other ethnicities and within our own as a whole. Yes certain people had it worse then others, but we need to wipe the slate clean and move on. I could go on the net and find horrors done to the Native Indians, Indians,Asians, Jews, African Americans, Mexicans, Irish, Italians, yes (white people included). What is the point? See who has been victimized the most, dwell and soak ourselves in the past and never move on. I'm not saying to forget the past, because you always have to remember so crap like that will not happen again. That being said you have to move on, everyone is created equal and can accomplish the same task. It's time to end these crappy government programs for everyone and help each other. Help each other by being fair and looking at people merits and abilities. Help each other by respecting our differences and culture. Help each other by not giving one group privilege over another. I'm tired of this guys less move on and less stop the government from making things worse.

I just want to give you a bit more factual information on American Indians, which we prefer to be called as is written in ALL our treaties. It has been LESS than 100 years since we were given or allowed U.S. Citizenship and the Right to vote in this nation. It was 1924 when we were granted U.S. Citizenship and the Right to vote, and then 7 States in the U.S. did NOT allow the American Indians in their States to vote until 1948.

The American Indians do NOT receive "government handouts", they receive Federal monies due to LEGALLY binding CONTRACTS (Treaties) between the U.S. Government and the American Indian Tribal Nations.

Now I ask you if YOU know how many of those treaties have actually been enforced, paid on, followed through with and how many of those treaties have been repeatedly broken?

How many of those treaties were CHANGED with NO input by the American Indians because they had ZERO Governmental input or representation in this nation? (the ONLY U.S. President to date that has followed through with his promises to the AI is Obama).

MANY Tribal Nations now actually PAY taxes into the Federal Government due to their casino's. Sadly there are ONLY 2 closed Tribal Nations in the U.S., and one has become quite prosperous.

As for assimilation, WHY did the forefather...

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Hey Fef,

I just want to give you a bit more factual information on American Indians, which we prefer to be called as is written in ALL our treaties. It has been LESS than 100 years since we were given or allowed U.S. Citizenship and the Right to vote in this nation. It was 1924 when we were granted U.S. Citizenship and the Right to vote, and then 7 States in the U.S. did NOT allow the American Indians in their States to vote until 1948.

The American Indians do NOT receive "government handouts", they receive Federal monies due to LEGALLY binding CONTRACTS (Treaties) between the U.S. Government and the American Indian Tribal Nations.

Now I ask you if YOU know how many of those treaties have actually been enforced, paid on, followed through with and how many of those treaties have been repeatedly broken?

How many of those treaties were CHANGED with NO input by the American Indians because they had ZERO Governmental input or representation in this nation? (the ONLY U.S. President to date that has followed through with his promises to the AI is Obama).

MANY Tribal Nations now actually PAY taxes into the Federal Government due to their casino's. Sadly there are ONLY 2 closed Tribal Nations in the U.S., and one has become quite prosperous.

As for assimilation, WHY did the forefathers NOT assimilate to OUR ways? (yes, I know, it was mainly religious reasons and justifications and need to control their own fears) Do you honestly not realize or see that forcing people OFF their lands onto near barren lands to "survive", and actually, hopefully become extinct is and was NO WAY to allow for them to assimilate to any other way of life? Do you seriously expect others who are ostracized and not incorporated into a way of life to "assimilate"?

IF we allowed you to live on our Reserve for a year, would YOU assimilate to our ways? You may be quite surprised to see we no longer live in wigwams, paddle our canoes (except for wild rice harvesting), fish with rod & reels, we have computers in our Judicial centers, factories, schools, casino's, etc., we have hospitals, police stations, schools, and even are taught our native language along with English, far more than most American children in today's schools unless they sign up for language classes. The difference is, we have NEVER let go of our ancestry, we have kept the "old ways" as an integral part of our living, we have stayed true to ourselves, and to ALL others by our actions and way of life, unlike MOST Americans today who don't understand or know their own heritage.

Until you and others here have walked a mile in the American Indians moccasins, I don't believe they will ever truly understand what little history of the AI's that has been told in our history classes in America today, and now look how Texas is rewriting it once again, so sad for the First Americans in this great nation :(

Basically we have done horrible things to other ethnicities and within our own as a whole. Yes certain people had it worse then others, but we need to wipe the slate clean and move on. I could go on the net and find horrors done to the Native Indians, Indians,Asians, Jews, African Americans, Mexicans, Irish, Italians, yes (white people included). What is the point? See who has been victimized the most, dwell and soak ourselves in the past and never move on. I'm not saying to forget the past, because you always have to remember so crap like that will not happen again. That being said you have to move on, everyone is created equal and can accomplish the same task. It's time to end these crappy government programs for everyone and help each other. Help each other by being fair and looking at people merits and abilities. Help each other by respecting our differences and culture. Help each other by not giving one group privilege over another. I'm tired of this guys less move on and less stop the government from making things worse.